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Animals > Bats > The Northern Long Eared
Bat

The Northern Long Eared
Bat

The Long Eared Bat

Myotis Septentrionalis, better known simply as
the Northern Long-eared Bat, is located in different parts of the eastern
portion of the United States, as long as they are heavily forested.
However, despite their wide distribution, they are also quite sparse.
There are many forested regions of Canada where you can find the Northern
Long-eared Bat as well, such as Newfoundland, southern Canada, and British
Columbia, among other locations. In the United States, this bat can
be found in North Dakota, South Dakota, Florida, and along some parts of
the east coast.

In their choice of habitat, the Northern
Long-eared Bats prefer forests that are boreal, wet and moist. In
certain parts of Canada and the United States, they are thus prone to
roosting behind loose pieces of bark, within hollow trees, and in
buildings. This is especially true for females when they roost
during maternity. During hibernation, the Northern Long-eared Bat
prefers altogether different locations. They like to hibernate in
caves and in mines which are located underground.

On average, the Northern Long-eared Bat
weighs about seven and a half grams, though their weight can range between
six and nine grams. In general, their wingspan ranges from
twenty-three centimeters to twenty-six centimeters; the average wingspan
measures in at twenty-four and a half centimeters. As far as length
goes, most of these bats are just under eight millimeters (3 inches) long
on average. As the name of the bat implies, they do have very long
ears, measuring between seventeen millimeters and nineteen millimeters.
Just like it happens with a lot of bats, the Northern Long-eared Bat is
bat that includes sexual dimorphism. All this means is that the
females of the species are bigger than the males.

The females breed in the fall months.
In general, they only have one pup – baby bat – at a time. In
fact, it is very rare for a female to give birth to more than one pup.
The average gestation period lasts fifty-five days, but it can range
between fifty and sixty days. Also on the average, the pups will be
weaned from their mothers in thirty days. Like most other bats, they
do not choose one mate to stay with for life, or even from one breeding
period to the next.

The Northern Long-eared bat is considered
to be an insectivore. They emerge just after the sun sets in order
to hunt their prey. They also hunt again right before dawn.
Their favorite insects are small and fly at night; they include
caddisflies, beetles, moths, leafhoppers, and flies. Sometimes,
however, these bats are known to get prey while in a sitting position as
well.

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